We Are in God’s Country

The world in which man lives is entirely of God’s making. Man, then, is not in his own country: he is living in the country of God. Therefore, man can only prosper by understanding God’s scheme and living in the world according to that scheme.

An American lady went on a tour of Russia. She saw pictures of the Communist Party Chairman hanging everywhere she went. She took offence to this and gave vent to her feelings in the presence of some Russians. Her companion whispered: “Madam, you are in Russia now, not America.”

One can live as one likes in one’s own country, but when one goes to a foreign country, one has to abide by its laws. If one does not do so, one will be considered an offender.

The same is true, in a broader sense, of this world. Man has been born into a world that he did not create. The world in which man lives is entirely of God’s making. Man, then, is not in his own country: he is living in the country of God.

This being the case, the only way a man can prosper is by understanding God’s scheme and living in the world according to that scheme. If he contradicts the scheme of God, then he will be considered a rebel. Therefore, he will be liable for punishment in the sight of God and stands to be deprived for all time of the blessings of the Lord.

The question is: how should man live in the world to conform to God’s will? It was to answer this question that God raised His prophets. The prophets showed man, plainly and in terms that he could understand, exactly what the Lord requires of him; they defined the scheme of God with which man should comply.

The Quran is an authentic collection of this prophetic guidance. Therefore, whoever wishes to be counted among God’s faithful servants, and be granted a share in His eternal blessings, must read the Quran and be guided by it in his life.

Whoever does not do this will meet a similar—though more severe fate—than of Americophiles in Russia or Russophiles in America.